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"id": 76241,
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"content": "The political objectives of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) are; one, to represent the voice of the people of Africa; two, to promote and defend the principles of human rights, gender parity, democracy, peace and security; three, to enhance oversight capacity of the PAP; four, to promote the harmonization of continental, regional and national laws to foster continental integration and fifthly, to encourage and support inter- institutional and other deliberative organs. Had sufficient work been done to realize these objectives, some of the acute problems that the African Continent faces today, including the issues of refugees, insecurity and transportation difficulties, would have been addressed. But the continental body, namely; the PAP, like so many of the national Parliaments, lacks sufficient budgetary support and hence, we lag behind the objectives that we have sought to achieve for the last 50 years. During our deliberations in the House at PAP, calls have been made for the African Heads of States, who constitute the highest decision-making organ, to increase financial support for this body in order to achieve the objectives that were set out. This has not been done. As long as it remains undone, these problems will continue to be felt. The final thing that I wanted to highlight is the issue regarding the removal of Mr. Murumba Werunga, from his position in the Pan-African Parliament without the due process. The failure to renew his contract, the manner in which he was dismissed, all of them undermine the principles of Pan-Africanism, given the fact that he had been seconded to the PAP because of his experience and expertise, both in this Parliament and in the East African Legislative Assembly. To be subjected to dismissal in the manner he was, leaves a lot to be desired in terms of raising motivation for other applicants. Although through the South African Parliament, his position and that of the deputy have been filled up, a lot of ill feelings prevail. Mr. Werunga managed to make an appeal to the Tribunal established under the Protocol setting up the Pan African Parliament, but as I present this Report to this House, that Tribunal has not sat and Mr. Werunga remains without justice in this particular matter. The point that we make as representatives of this Parliament in the PAP is to request, not only the Minister for Foreign Affairs who sits in the Council of Ministers, but His Excellency The President also who sits in the highest decision-making organ of that body to bring to the attention of the need of the tribunals and other adjudicative bodies that are set up under the Protocol to do their job well if we are going to achieve the objectives that are set out in the Protocol establishing the PAP. Because the other matters that I would have wished to address were well addressed by Mr. Bahari and Mr. Sirma when they contributed, I wish to conclude by calling upon those responsible for making appointments to do so as expeditious as possible, so that Mrs. Shebesh can be replaced, so that we can have a full complement of representation. If she is not replaced soon, I, perhaps, request that she continuous to sit, so that we can meet the requirements of the law that demand that we have, at least, one woman representative in the delegation. This is an issue that keeps cropping up. I wish that those responsible for making the necessary proposals to fill this vacancy do so urgently. With that, I beg to support this Motion."
}